It is officially fall AND National Dog Week! To celebrate both events, Best Bully Sticks has launched a NEW Charity Photo Contest for our dog charity friends nationwide. This is a great way to not only bring more national exposure to charities’ adoptable dogs but also their overall efforts in finding rescue dogs their forever homes!

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Best Bully Sticks recently awarded Marley’s Mutts a charitable contribution for submitting the winning photo of Hooch below in our Dogs at Play Charity Photo Contest.

“Hooch is a French Mastiff who had his tongue savagely ripped out of his mouth, his ears chopped off and his tail broken. When we rescued him, he was malnourished and forty pounds underweight. Today, Hooch is a healthy, happy and very agile guy! His favorite past times include doing ballet while playing ball, slobbering all over everything, snuggling, visiting kids with autism and other disabilities, and spreading inspiration, hope and love everywhere he goes!

About Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue

When & Why did you start?

Marley’s Mutts Dog Rescue is a 501c-3 non-profit organization dedicated to saving death-row-dogs in Kern County’s high-kill animal shelters. As founder Zach Skow faced the repercussions of alcoholism in the form of life-threatening liver disease, Marley’s Mutts was the healing force that saved his life. It has since saved the lives of literally thousands of dogs that otherwise would’ve surely perished. Since its inception in 2009, Marley’s Mutts has earned a stellar reputation in Kern County and the State of California, and has even garnered worldwide attention for captivating stories of survival and redemption through individual dogs. Zach and Marley’s Mutts have been endorsed by such prestigious figures as Dr. Drew, Marie Osmond, Cesar Millan and Oprah Winfrey.

What’s different about your rescue?

Marley’s Mutts is far more than a dog rescue. We have become a force of motivation and inspiration by connecting emotionally with our nearly 1 million engaged users on Facebook. We have an exponentially growing “cult following” in the social media sphere. Bearing witness to the power of the human-canine bond in our own lives, we encourage our supporters to perceive dog rescue not as a tragic or futile pursuit, but rather an opportunity to become better human beings, and an empowering mission in which we can all share and change the world, one dog and one day at a time!

What is the greatest success story or “win” that your rescue has had?

Marley’s Mutts has had so many phenomenal, almost “otherworldly” success stories, it is virtually impossible to describe just one. But the dog whose story is probably most recognizable to the world is Hooch’s story:

Hooch is a French Mastiff with badly cropped ears, a broken tail, no tongue…and a spirit so bright as to outshine all the darkness that has befallen him.

After Hooch had languished in the Bakersfield shelter for more than a month, our friends at Kern County Animal Control informed us that we were his last hope for rescue. A mysterious case, Hooch wouldn’t eat or drink, and would instead thrash his food and water bowls around like a maniac. By the time we pulled him to freedom, he was 35 pounds underweight – starving, dehydrated and severely malnourished.

Never thinking to “check for” a missing tongue, those involved in Hooch’s case thought he might have a broken or dislocated jaw that was causing his strange behavior surrounding the ingestion of nutrients (or lack thereof.) When we took him to see our trusty cohorts at San Joaquin Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Willis sedated Hooch to ready him for x-rays, and made the gruesome discovery that Hooch’s tongue had been savagely removed at its base, likely in an attempt to prime him for the dog-fighting arena.

Hooch had a feeding tube implanted immediately in hopes that he’d gain a substantial amount of weight quickly, after which we would remove the tube and try to teach him how to eat and drink. It seemed it would be a long and arduous road to recovery, but Hooch has blown our minds at every milestone along the way. The world watched as we fed an “upright” Hooch in a Bailey Chair, then began simply placing moistened kibble in his mouth and, with a little help from gravity, down the hatch it went! Hooch has taught himself to suck up water, using his snaggle-tooth-under-bite to supplement an impressive slurping mechanism.

Even more impressive than Hooch’s physical recovery by extreme adaptability, is his complete lack of fear or resentment toward human beings. Hooch loves every person he meets. So much so, in fact, that he now works in a therapeutic capacity with special needs children. Because of his miraculous disposition and ability to inspire and delight, we have decided to keep Hooch as our own. As our signature “Miracle Mutt”, Hooch will be able to fulfill his destiny, as an ambassador for of all that is good and right in the world.

While we could let vengeance darken our hearts on Hooch’s behalf, we choose instead to honor the invaluable lessons he has taught us: To live in the moment and forgive the past, to face each day with the vulnerability born of trusting, and to enjoy the simplest of pleasures as the most profound. In spite of the evil that took his tongue, Hooch is a happy dog with nothing but love to give! He shows us by example that in spite of horrific circumstances, we can adapt, we can go on living, and we can do so with a lust for life that is unstoppable and contagious!

What’s the most rewarding thing about working at your rescue?

Marley’s Mutts is an organization that offers all who get involved the opportunity to expand and evolve and, in turn, help the organization do the same. This organization is the perfect example of a whole being greater than than the sum of its parts. Every person who joins us and lends their time, energy and love is special and unique, and we each bring something important to the table. This group’s function — and great success – very much depends on the supportive interdependence between its members. This includes volunteers, foster families, shelter workers, veterinary staff, board members, supporters and adopters. It is so rewarding to be a part of a huge, collective force for GOOD!

What can people do to help your rescue?

For those who are local to Kern County, we encourage people to fill out volunteer applications on our website: http//www.marleysmutts.com.

We can always use people’s different talents and skills for various events or projects! For those who aren’t nearby, we always appreciate monetary donations, of course, specifically because we are raising money for a new facility!

To learn more about how to donate to our building fund, people can check out our campaign on fundrazr.com: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/0dQh3. Over all, we just love to keep people involved and up to date on all the cool stuff we having going on, which they can do by bookmarking our website and liking us on Facebook!

Best Bully Sticks thanks Marley’s Mutts Rescue for sharing their story and all the work they do for local rescue dogs.

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National Mill Dog Rescue recently received a donation from BestBullySticks.com. We always love learning more about the rescues we donate to and sharing their stories with our customers and fans. We are grateful for National Mill Dog Rescue’s experience and the care and love they pour out on dogs. Keep reading for more about National Mill Dog Rescue, their beginnings, their inspiration and their successes.

When & Why did you start?

National Mill Dog Rescue was established in February 2007, in honor of a forgiving little Italian Greyhound named Lily. Theresa Strader, NMDR’s Founder and Executive Director, rescued Lily from a dog auction in Missouri. Prior to that day, Lily had spent the first seven years of her life as a commercial breeding dog, a puppy mill mom. Determined that her years of living in misery would not be in vain, Strader started NMDR, giving a voice to mill dogs across the country.

During her years as a breeding dog, Lily spent all of her days confined to a small, cold wire cage in a dark, foul-smelling barn. Never was she removed from her cage for exercise or socialization. In her dreary confines, Lily was forced to produce one litter after another with no respite. Like all commercial breeding dogs, she was a veritable breeding machine whose worth was measured in only one way – her ability to produce puppies.

By seven years of age, Lily was worn out. Commonplace in the industry, she had received little to no veterinary care throughout her life, the result of which, for her, was terribly disturbing. Due to years of no dental care, poor quality food, rabbit bottle watering and no appropriate chew toys, the roof of Lily’s mouth and lower jaw, had rotted away. Her chest was riddled with mammary tumors and she was absolutely terrified of people.

Strader brought Lily and twelve others home from the auction and declares that even for a highly seasoned rescuer, the following months were the education of a lifetime in rehabilitation. That she would take up the cause for the mill dogs was never in question and National Mill Dog Rescue was promptly underway. IIn six years, NMDR has rescued more than 8,700 puppy mill survivors.

Run almost solely by volunteers, NMDR has pledged to put an end to the cruelty of the puppy mill industry. Through widespread informative efforts, NMDR hopes to educate the public to acquire their companion animals through reputable breeders or better yet, from shelters and rescue groups across the country. read more…

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BestBullySticks.com recently awardedThe Mia Foundation a charitable donation after winning our Dogs at Play Charity Photo Contest. This great organization helps pets with birth defects that no one else will take. Read on to learn about the inspiring Mia the Chihuahua and more amazing pet rescues. We spoke with Sue Rogers, founder of the organization.

When & Why did you start?The Mia Foundation was established in April of 2012 after the death of our precious Chihuahua, Mia. This is her story.

My precious Mia was born with a cleft palate. Mia had several surgeries, (all of which had failed.) Although she was taken to the top Universities and to the top Veterinarians, she was given little hope of survival. I was told that euthanasia was best. I refused to give up on her and vowed to fight for her as long as she continued to fight. She was given a chance at life and even though her life was short-lived, she lived it to the fullest. She had to face many medical obstacles on her journey here, but she never let it overpower her love for life. Mia has inspired over 11,000 people from all over the world and continues to create Miracles every day.

Sadly, Mia passed away from pneumonia on April 11th, 2012 two months shy of her 2nd birthday. Her legacy lives on through The Mia Foundation which was created in her honor.

The Mia Foundation was developed to give animals born with birth defects a fighting chance. Mia was given a chance and in return gave so much love, hope and inspiration to people all around the world. I have come to realize that Mia was sent here to help us all in whatever way possible. She was brought to this earth to show us courage and unconditional love, she was here to bring loving, caring people together from all over the world and to teach us all to never give up no matter what obstacles we may face. She taught us to be brave, to be strong, and to smile in the face of adversity. Most importantly, she taught us all how to love unconditionally!!

Since her death, Mia’s story has inspired people to adopt animals with birth defects that may have otherwise been overlooked or not given a chance at life and love. Mia has educated thousands of people from all walks of life on how to care for a special needs animal. She has raised awareness as to, “If they are born, they deserve a chance to live!!” Because of her strength, determination, love and will to live, she has enriched the lives of countless individuals. She had a zest for life unlike any I have ever seen. Her tiny paw left a huge imprint on so very many hearts.

Mia has shown us all that miracles really do exist. She changed the world with just one smile!! read more…

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Many well deserving & caring non-profit animal shelters and rescues rely upon the generosity of volunteers and donations to continue their rescue efforts. Animal shelters depend heavily on fundraisers so they can continue to operate their facilities and tend to the needs of homeless, abused and stray animals in need of extra love and care. So you can imagine that they need your help! Our friends at ehow have thought of some creative & simple things we all can do to help our local animal rescue & shelter raise money and supplies for their efforts.

1. Set a Monetary goal. How much do you want to raise, and in what time frame?

2. Organize a Spare Change Jar. Make a public announcement or send out email at your work or school that you are trying to raise money for your local rescue & shelter. Set the jar and sign out for people to donate spare change. Every week you can collect the money and drop off proceeds to local rescue or shelter.

3. Host a dog wash event. Have volunteers sign up to commit some time to helping set up and participate in the dog wash event. Contact local pet stores to see if they can donate shampoo & brushes for the event and have people donate clean old towels to the cause. You will also need a hose and access to water. You might want to consider hosting the dog wash in the rescue parking lot to draw awareness about the organization and spur on adoptions. Advertise that people can bring up their dogs for a bath and charge a fee. Local newspapers may advertise this event for free, and flyers can be distributed among the community.

4. Host a dog walk-athon. Choose a day and host a dog walk, either through town or at a local park. Charge a “walk fee” of maybe $5, and everyone walking their dog will receive a certificate, knowing that their money is going to help an animal shelter. See if you can get buttons or t-shirts donated. You can even set up a stand and sell items for a little extra money, such as bottled water or dog dishes.

5. Organize an auction. Collect donations from local businesses and people. Try to get a couple of large prizes, such as tickets to a major league baseball game or a mountain bike. Sell tickets for the prizes, and at the same time, you can sell 50/50 tickets to raise even more money. Refreshments are another option to make more money if you have enough volunteers.

6. Throw a garage sale and donate all money raised. Collect donations of items to sell, and advertise all over town. Make sure to be clear to everyone that all money raised goes towards the animal shelter.

7. Challenge the local community to give & get involved. Create an excitement that is infectious, and others will want to join in and do the same thing. Encourage others to do what they can to raise money for animal shelters and your efforts will go a long way.

You can also help Best Bully Sticks champion the rescue shelter fund-raising cause by doing the following:

8. Click to Give a $1 at Checkout! Participate in our Best Bully Sticks $1 Donation Program by shopping on www.bestbullysticks.com and clicking to donate a $1 at checkout. For every $1 you donate at checkout we will donate a $1 with a 100% of the proceeds going to rescues and shelters in need across the country. The money raised will help with out reach, basic animal necessities and rescue programs. Donations raised monthly by you will be given to 3 lucky rescues during our ongoing monthly Best Bully Sticks Rescue Shelter Giveaway